filling out SENDIST appeal forms

[nuru]

DD2 has Down syndrome and is due to start mainstream nursery 5 ams a week in Sept. We are appealing against her statement and I've just received the Appeal forms.

Does anyone with experience of this know how much detail we need to put in the section where you outline why you are appealing - we're appealing against part 3, because there is no specificity or quantification of hours. Am just worried that if I leave any detail out, it won't be able to be considered.

sorry i cant help at all as we dont have a statement yet but just wondering if parent partnership could help you, maybe try them if you havent already xx

Hello nuru,

I have just gone through the statement thing as my son, who has DS, is starting school in Sept. I appealed the provision for SLT as there was none and he has severe language delay, as identified by all the people who assessed him. Anyway, I contacted the DSA who passed me on to IPSEA and they were incredibly helpful and talked my through the stages of appeal and what to say when I met with the LA. My statement did not outline hours and funding until the final statement was issued, this my not be the case for every LA as they all have their own little ways. I did not go to SENDIST, I held a meeting with the LA to discuss any issues and I rewrote the statement as I wanted it to be written and then we met somewhere in the middle. I am not sure at what stage you are in the process but try the DSA and IPSEA, they were fab.

thanks for the tips from both of you - sorry for the delay in getting back - RL took over!!

have been getting lots of advice from IPSEA - aren't they great?

anyway, luckily the LEA have caved in already and given us what we asked for - luck is in for us this time!! let's hope it will be for everyone else too